Sophia Tolli Octavia bustle help!!

KyRem

Hi! Help! Did anyone buy this dress? Does anyone know how to bustle it? My seamstress is struggling and I'm running out of time! Any help is much appreciated! Thank you!

missdelilah

My suggestion is to send pics to other seamstresses in the area, and see whether one is confident in working on the dress. If so, tell your current seamstress just to fit it, and go elsewhere for the bustle.

Classy_Dame_009

I would bustle the two layers separately, for sure.  

For the satin layer underneath, a ballroom bustle would be ideal, but a traditional/american bustle would also work.

For the organza layer, I would bustle it to the side.  (The satin would need to be all pinned up in it's own bustle first, before pinning the organza bustle, to really gauge how the fabric will fall.)  You could bustle to either side really... If you go to the side where the gathers seem to flow from, it will keep roughly the same lines across the back, as far the direction of the folds, and the fabric will of course be fuller on that side.  If you go to the opposite side, it might appear more balanced from the front, and it would create a U-shaped drape across the back of the skirt.  Personally, I like the look of it going to the side where all the gathers start.

The seamstress would need to grab a spot somewhere in the bottom/middle-ish area of he train, probably around where the organza hits the floor, on the side opposite of where it will be pinned (if they know what they're doing, they'll know how to find just the right spot) and pull it across to the where it will be pinned... watching the back hem to get it to just the right length.  Once that first spot is located & pinned, the rest will just be picking up all the excess fabric that is now hanging from the side & working it into that area. 

They could hide multiple clear buttons in the folds of the organza there, OR they could pick one main point to bring all the fabric to.  This option could be done with no buttons, as you would just put loops on all the points, including the top point; and when its time to bustle, you string a pretty silk ribbon through them all & tie a cute little bow, if you're into those, or a knot if you're not.  The tails of the ribbon would flow & hide with the folds of organza.

I used to do this stuff in a bridal shop, so I hope this is making some sense, and I'm not like, speaking jibberish... But I promise, it IS possible to bustle it.  There is no right or wrong with bustles.  You just play with the fabric to somehow get it off the ground in a way that looks nice to you.     I hope this helps!

Classy_Dame_009

I hope this works... tried to doodle a pic of what I mean...  http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w16/ClassyDame009/IMG_5317.jpg